When the Vols lost to Arkansas on October 3, I was among the many that questioned whether or not Butch Jones was a capable in-game coach.
Sure, we all knew Jones could recruit like a mad man. Tennessee’s 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes were the best the Volunteers have had in quite some time.
But there’s big difference in building a quality roster and winning games.
And in Tennessee’s first three losses of the season, Jones made some questionable decisions that undoubtedly lead to losses.
Playing not to lose against Oklahoma, not going for two against Florida, calling timeout before several Gators FG attempts that resulted in Florida going for it on fourth down and converting. All of those are decisions that will haunt Jones the rest of the season.
Tennessee, by all means, should be a top 15 (maybe top 10) team with a 6-0 record heading into Tuscaloosa this weekend.
There really hasn’t been a team that’s beat the Vols yet this season — the Vols have consistently beat themselves.
So that’s why I was one of those folks questioning Jones, especially after the loss to Florida.
I even said that Jones was as bad of an in-game coach as Derek Dooley.
Butch Jones is as bad of an in-game coach as Derek Dooley. This is really bad.
— zach ragan (@zachtnt) September 26, 2015
Ouch. Ok, that was probably a bit harsh. But at the time, I was far from the only person with the same thought.
I was certain, after the Vols fell to 2-3, that the season was lost and Tennessee was possibly in danger of going 5-7.
Butch Jones, however, saw it differently.
Despite the team dealing with numerous distractions leading up to their game against Georgia on October 10, Jones was able to keep his team focused.
When Georgia jumped out to a 24-3 lead against the Vols, a lot of people thought that was it for Tennessee….and Jones.
Clay Travis called Tennessee “total garbage” and said that anyone defending Jones was an “idiot”.
At that point, it was tough to disagree with Travis.
But Tennessee persevered and eventually pulled ahead and got their first win against Georgia since 2009.
The win was beyond important for the Volunteers, on several different levels.
First of all, it kept Tennessee in the SEC East race (even if just barely). It also got the Vols back to .500 for the season.
Most importantly, however, it won back the fans.
Vol nation was on the verge of a major meltdown.
“Here we go again” was becoming the mantra of UT fans.
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And now, only a couple of weeks removed from a number of fans wanting Butch Jones fired on the spot, the Vols are heading to Alabama with as much momentum as they’ve had all season. The fanbase is feeling good and some fans have even talked themselves into an upset win this weekend.
That’s the difference that a win over a rival makes.
Beating Georgia could be what turns Tennessee’s season completely around.
Yes the Vols still have a lot of work to do. And Jones still has some areas in which he can improve (such as trusting some of his younger players a bit more, see: Jack Jones and Chance Hall). But it’s clear that Tennessee is still on the way up.
The Vols have a bright future. A lot of us lost sight of that because of a few losses that could’ve easily went UT’s way.
Tennessee’s win against Georgia reminded us of that bright future. If the Vols fall to Alabama on Saturday, don’t let the promise of a bright future slip away again.